Homeowners facing foreclosure have always been vulnerable to scammers, conartists, and thieves. When property values were appreciating rapidly, foreclosure rescue scams primarily focused on obtaining title to the home and robbing homeowners of their equity. Today with property prices depreciating and many homes already “underwater,” equity is no longer the game.

Instead, rescuers have become high-volume, “loan modification specialists.” The pitch by this new breed of predators is that, for a fee, which can reach several thousand dollars, they will negotiate a loan modification for a financially distressed borrower. The hitch is that the “work” performed, if any, leads nowhere, with the homeowner out money and time and closer than ever to foreclosure.